For our 21st accommodation we had an eye on Vukovar, Croatia.
After breakfast we packed our bags and left the sweet little camping of Budzak. We went to the street by the load and looked for an exit to the Danube. This journey is funny because according to the map the road lays across Croatia on a few hundred metres. The borderline was set here before the regulation of the Danube. It is now another question, that in practice, the boarder now is the current river bed.
Found a cart-road next to an inn, which led to the river through the flood-basin woods. Gaspar and Peti packed all the necessary equipments and they were ready to go. This was Peti`s first long-distance, but he was confident. When the boat disappeared behind the trees, I grabbed the camera and went back to the car to search for internet in Apatin. I took over the wingman, sundry-man, and quartermaster position from Gaspar till we reach Belgrade.
I tried to look for information about the mobile networks at a currency exchange, hoping they would speak English there. But they didn`t. But at least I got to know where to head to. I managed to buy a sim card at a small store, but top-up wasn`t available. I tried the nearby off-licence, but the lady didn`t speak any English at all. Struggled for a while, then an older woman gave a shot in helping us, but that didn`t go very smooth either, I had some issues with the German language. There soon became a queue and finally someone spoke up in Hungarian, so from then on I understood why I cannot get as much data allowance on my phone as I wanted to. I ended up in the tiny pedestrian walkway of Apatin in a Telenor store. Here finally I got the 1GB, although the girl also didn`t speak either Hungarian or English and I forgot to ask Romanian.
In the mean time Gaspar and Peti were rowing of course, in a very good steady pace at first. I was waiting by the bridge between Borojevo and Erdut. First I went to the Danube under the bridge, but the bridge then covered the ruins of the castle, and I wanted to record the fortress. I managed to find a passage above the bridge, so I took the cameras. The boys stopped and had a little rest, ate. We grabbed the laptop and I have tried to upload a few things on the not very fast internet. It was sunny, therefore I protected myself and made sure, I can see the monitor:
Gaspar and Peti soon casted the anchor next to me, but didn`t waste much time, and continued their journey. I grabbed my stuff and went back to the car, and then drove over the bridge, joining Serbia and Croatia. I took an extra journey to Erdut, with the skin of one`s teeth I found the road to the castle and took a few pictures, and a few images of the bridge mentioned before.
The Danube takes a 180 degree right turn after Erdut, I chose the short cut and even with the little trip to the castle I arrived to Dalj ahead of the boys. I was waiting for them by the high embankment to capture them passing by, and then drove to Vukovar.
I found a free parking lot in the city centre, where I could park, until I searched for a dock. I found a nice spot for us: the Vukovar Rowing Club`s building can be found right next to the port, their pier seemed ideal. After that I went to find accommodation. The camping I found online was supposed to be about 7 kilometres away from the city, but I couldn`t find it. I went back to the city, but found, the tourist information desk was already closed, and at the police station I have not seen a soul either. I went back to the dock. The harbour patrols also didn`t speak English, but pointed a camping out in Vucedol, only a few kilometres further, on the map. There I mostly found holiday resorts, gardens and a riding-hall, where they finally spoke English, and told me, that the camping there doesn`t operate anymore. But there is one on the island opposite the dock, which also has an interesting story. The beach is nice and sandy there; people from Vukovar go there to sunbath and swim. Although when Yugoslavia fell into, the island became the part of Serbia and suddenly the Croatians needed their passport to cross. The two countries finally agreed and now the Croatians can use the island all summer without any restrictions.
Of course the boys were making their way down the Danube, as I found out, even better than expected. When we managed to contact each other, they have already passed Vukovar. Fortunately by not much, but they had to row back, approximately about two kilometres, while although with a little difficulty but found my way to the bank. While I was trying to find my way, two women on their bikes stopped me, wondering what my opinion would be about the idea of them camp on the playground under the water-tower. I told them all I knew of the camping possibilities in Vukovar, and found out they were Belgian, and were on a much tougher tour than us: cycling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea.
Finally I met the boys at the downside of the town, by a ramp. I told them our not so rosy situation, we could camp on the island, they can paddle over, and I would be taken on a motorboat with the necessary equipments for about 10 Kuna. As we had another 2-3 kilometres to row, we decided to take the kayak by car. We went back to the rowing club – that`s where they motorboat would leave from – which we now found open. We thought we`d ask if we could leave the car with the kayak here till the morning. Soon a coach appeared, we exchanged a few words, told him where e are coming from, where we are going to, and finally we set the tent up on the shore by the club building. We had a chance to shower inside and had our dinner on the benches by the beach, while the sun went down. After all it was a good evening, especially now knowing that looking over the island in the dark, there didn`t seem to be any trail of light.
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